CH1:

Hermione paced back and forth in the Gryffindor common room trying to process what Ron had just told her. It was late, so at first she thought that she had simply fallen asleep on the sofa and this was some sort of bizarre dream.

"Hermione, would you stop pacing? You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing" Ron stated, bringing Hermione out of her own head.

"Sorry" she said, her words laced with annoyance. "Can you just run it by me once more?" she asked, as if trying to confirm what she had been told for the umpteenth time.

"Bloody hell Hermione! Do I really have to go through it all again?" Ron whined

"Yes Ronald, you do. You can't just walk in here, ask Harry to leave and unload something as big as this on me and just expect me to understand. Now don't argue with me and just tell me once more" Hermione retorted.

"Fine" Ron got up from the sofa and made his way to the fire place before continuing "Charlie contacted me a few weeks ago. He needs help with the dragons in Romania as some of the students and professors have been disappearing or going missing. He doesn't know how long I'll be needed but he thinks it might be a while" Ron paused looking over at Hermione. He watched her face as her brow furrowed while she once more processed the information. "I leave tomorrow night. I've spoken with Dumbledore and the professors and they all agree that I should go help Charlie and help find those missing people." Ron turned back to the fire, watching the flames dance as he let Hermione process what he's said. Again.

"You can't be serious Ronald. You, with dragons?" she let out a slightly amused hum "the last time you saw a dragon you almost fainted, and now you want to go to Romania, the place that was made for dragons? You'll be passed out the whole time" Hermione was quite amused, and so sure that this was some kind of joke between the boys. Then she looked up at Ron's completely serious face and anger filled her.

"You're serious?" she paused before continuing. "You've known for weeks, and you're telling me now. The night before you leave" you utter halfwit, she thought to herself "And what about Fred and George huh? What's wrong with them going or maybe even perfect little Percy?" Hermione's blood started to boil

Now it was Ron's turn to pace.

"Yes, I'm serious. I didn't know how to tell you, so I didn't...until now. Fred won't go anywhere without George, you know that and Percy won't leave his prefect status to look after dragons" Ron huffed, almost as if he was annoyed.

Hermione stood making her way to the door at a quick pace.

"Where are you bloody running off to?" Ron snapped

"Anywhere away from you!" she shouted, without a doubt in her mind that anyone that was around or listening in was able to hear her. "You should have told me weeks ago! But no, you're telling me right now! God, how cowardly of you. You probably told Harry before you told me, right?" she didn't wait for his reply because she knew his answer. Of course he bloody told Harry. "I am your girlfriend Ronald. And you didn't tell me. You didn't even discuss it with me, you're just leaving and you don't know when you'll be back –"

Ron cut Hermione off before she woke everyone up "it's not like it was an easy thing to do Hermione, to make that decision and then have to tell you. Don't make this harder than it already is" Ron knew what he was doing. He was trying to make her feel bad and he felt shitty doing it "look, long distance relationships work out just fine, we'll be fine. I promise"

His promises meant nothing in that moment, as Ron rambled on Hermione had already made her decision about what was going to happen "No. Long distance doesn't work out; I know that first hand Ronald. How are we supposed to work anyway? You clearly didn't trust me enough to tell me that you were leaving and we obviously don't communicate enough, I mean this situation is example enough. For Merlin's sake, right now I would rather be in the company of...of" crap, Hermione couldn't think of someone who was mean and cruel and, that's it! "Malfoy than spend another second in this room with you"

Hermione once again faced the door to leave but changed her mind mid-flow and turned on her heal to face Ron. After a few moments of painful silence Hermione spoke, her words clear but filled with pain and sorrow. "And as for long distance, well there won't be a 'long distance' with us" she paused for a moment wondering what to say next. "This is our goodbye Ron" Hermione hadn't noticed that her brown eyes now shone with her tears, nor did she realise that she had been crying. She took a few moments to look at Ron, he said nothing at first, just stood there watching her cry, neither of them said anything at all.

"Hermione, come on" Ron pleaded "I'll call Charlie and see if you can come with me, or I'll see if he can think of how long I will actually be away, just please don't leave me. Don't leave us" Ron's voice started to crack and his hands started to tremble. He started to walk towards her but she stopped him.

"Don't Ron, stay where you are." Hermione pleaded "Charlie would never agree to me coming along and I have to stay here, I have to do my studies and watch after Harry, and if I'm gone who's going to get you two through to graduation eh?" Hermione chuckled but Ron didn't find it amusing.

"Hermione, please don't break up with me over this, it can work I know it can" his voice was strained. He sounded like he was going to cry at any given point.

"Oh Ron" Hermione sighed, she had already made up her mind "it's not just this, we don't communicate anymore, we hardly see each other despite the fact we share almost every class together and we both want to do different things; we're slowly drifting in different directions and today, you leaving, It's all too much" Hermione wiped away stay tears that had escaped from her welling eyes "Goodbye Ron."

Hermione turned on her heel once more and bolted through the door. It was passed curfew, but she didn't care. She would not let Ron, or anyone for that matter, see her break down. As she got the bottom of the staircase she heard Ron calling out her name in desperate pleas for her to come back to him. She ran faster as if trying to outrun herself, however, she ran a little too fast and slammed right into someone's chest as she turned the corner on the way to the girl's bathroom. Hermione landed on the stone floor with a thud, with her left wrist connecting with the floor at an awkward angle causing her to let out a small yelp.

She looked up at the still standing figure, unable to see their face due to the shadows cast over it, but from their height and the way they held themselves she could tell it was a boy. "Isn't it passed your bed time, Granger?" she knew that voice anywhere "Malfoy" she spat. She stood, and the light from the candles showed the now dried tears on Hermione's face and Draco just could help himself.

"What's the matter Granger? Has Potter hurt your precious little feelings? Or has Weaslby tried something on you?" he hummed in a mocking tone quite amused with himself. Fresh tears welled up in Hermione's eyes and just before they were able to spill over she shoved Malfoy out the way and continued to the girl's bathroom. "Don't you walk away from me Granger" she heard Malfoy shout after her but his voiced drowned out the further she walked down the hall.